Heart Of A Captive
by KnifeInTheCrayonBox
Summary: I was just a prisoner at the castle, while he was the servant. We became friends somewhere in between, and that's when things started to get complicated. Temporary Hiatus.
1. Prologue

"_The best love is the kind that awakens the soul and makes us search for more…"_

I stood on the deck of the _Raven_, looking out at the never-ending expanse of stars and galaxies. I sighed as I turned away and dunked the mop I had been holding into the bucket of water nearby. I thought that I would have gotten a better job than just cabin boy again. The Royal Academy had assigned me to the _Raven_ because Ambassador Clarence had asked for me specifically, which I thought meant that I would be in charge of piloting or navigation, but instead I got the same job I got on the _RLS Legacy_: mopping, dishes and other odd jobs that nobody else wanted to do.

"Hey, Jim, what's with the long face, huh?" Ryker, the son of the Ambassador asked as he bounded up to me. At the awkward age of fourteen, he was only a year younger than me, and apparently idolized me ever since he heard about my adventures on the _RLS Legacy_. Ever since we set off to Procyon about a month ago the boy had been following me around like a lost sheep, offering to help me with even the simple chores (although they were few and far between). After so many years of being ignored and pushed aside it was nice to have someone look up to me and want to be like me, even when his clinginess got annoying sometimes.

"It's nothing," I said, shrugging my shoulders as I mopped the deck.

"Oh come on, you can tell me!" One look at his eager expression and pleading eyes and I gave in.

"It's just that I thought I would be doing a more important job than just swabbing the deck and bussin' tables when the Academy told me the Ambassador asked for me specifically," I told him as I angrily scrubbed the wooden floor with the mop.

"That's not why you're here," Ryker said, and I looked up in surprise.

"What? Well then why-" I started to ask, but he cut me off.

"My dad heard about how you saved the _Legacy_ all by yourself, and he wanted to here in case anything bad happened because he heard how good you are at quick thinking," he explained, "He wanted you here in case there was an emergency since we were on a dangerous peace mission to Procyon." I thought about it for a minute, and realized it made sense. Our domain, Etherium, and the Procyon's had been at war for centuries, when the Queen recently decided it was time to stop the war once and for all, so she sent the Ambassador of Etherium to Procyon to make a peace agreement. Needless to say, things didn't go according to plan. The Procyon's weren't interested in talking peace, and quickly sent us away with the order that we were not to enter their territory again. They escorted us back to the farthest point away from Etherium where the Procyon territory ends, leaving us to navigate our way around their territory to get back home. I had a feeling they did that just to tick us off and show their dislike for us.

I turned back to the boy on my right and smiled. "Well I'm glad to hear I'm wanted for more than just my handy work in the kitchen." Ryker laughed as he took a step closer.

"Hey Jim, do you need any help wi-" Ryker was suddenly cut off when something rocked the ship. We were both standing so close to the edge that it sent us both flying. Luckily, I was able to grab onto a nearby post and hold on. I looked up and saw a shower of meteors coming straight at us. One of them must have hit the ship.

"Jim, _help_!" I heard Ryker scream. I looked around, but couldn't spot the boy. Suddenly I saw a pair of hands hanging off the side of the ship for dear life. I quickly grabbed both his hands as they started to slip and pulled him back inside. We both fell back onto the deck and Ryker suddenly hugged me.

"Jim, you saved my life!" he exclaimed in admiration.

"Yeah, yeah, it was nothing," I said with a shrug. I didn't like being touched, it was something that always annoyed me. Suddenly the ship tilted to the side and I grabbed Ryker around the shoulders and held onto the nearby post so neither of us would fall over. Suddenly a meteor struck the mast, snapping it in half; it made a sickening crunch as it fell onto the deck. Then a shower of fiery meteors hit the ship, making holes in the deck and the solar sails.

"Captain, thruster's capacity at only 15%!" the navigator yelled. The captain's big green eyes widened even more in surprise. Suddenly two engineers ran up on deck.

"Captain, the engine is failing!" one of them yelled.

"A meteor struck it and none of my men can fix it without the proper parts!" the other yelled over the commotion on the deck.

"Jim, what's going to happen?" Ryker asked fearfully.

"Don't worry, worst case scenario we'll have to board the longboats and land on the nearest planet," I explained. Ryker's face suddenly went pale with fear.

"But…but that's…Earth," he choked out. I walked over to the edge and saw that he was right. A small blue and green planet was no more than a hundred miles away, and we were losing momentum fast, being sucked in by the planet's gravitational pull.

"I-I'm sure all those stories about Earth aren't true," I said nervously, but I couldn't let it show. "I'm sure they aren't all bloodthirsty barbarians."

"I meant the stories about them killing anyone who isn't from their own planet that lands there."

"Captain, we're losing power fast, and we're being pulled in by the planet's gravity. What are your orders?" the first mate yelled.

"Get more men down to the engine to fix it!" he yelled back.

"But Captain, the engineer's said-"

"I know what they said!" the captain snapped, cutting him off, "And I just gave you an order, follow it!"

The first mate just stood there for a second, and then finally sighed. "Yes, Sir."

I looked up at the Captain with irritation. Didn't he see that they didn't have time to repair the engines, even if they could? Had he gone completely mad? I threw my mop down on the floor and ran up the deck to the helm.

"Captain, we're not gonna be able to avoid a crash. Even if they manage to fix the engines it'll be too late, we need to get to the longboats!" I yelled over all the confusion.

"No, keep the sails down, we'll need them when the engine is fixed!" The Captain yelled to the crew who was trying to secure the sails, and then he turned to me. "Mr. Hawkins, I am the Captain of this ship, you are just the cabin boy, now do as you are told and let me handle this or you'll be thrown in the brig until we get back to the Spaceport." I could feel my temper rising.

"We're not gonna make it to the spaceport, _sir_," I said indignantly. "And we're not gonna survive if you don't evacuate the ship!" Ryker appeared at my side.

"He saved the crew of _Legacy_ when Treasure Planet blew up, he knows what he's doing!" he defended me, but his tone was softer than mine. The Captain's eyes narrowed at him.

"And _you_, you weren't even supposed to be here. Just because your father is the Ambassador doesn't mean a thing! You better learn your place fast, boy! You're just a passenger on this ship!" The Captain spat at him. He was quickly losing his temper, which was something the Academy always told us you can never lose. You have to remain calm at all times, even in an emergency. I sent him a dirty look before grabbing Ryker's hand and pulling him down to the stairs to the holding area where the longboats were kept.

"Jim, what about everyone else? We have to do something!" Ryker exclaimed as I pressed the button to open the hatch. I sighed. He was right, we couldn't just leave them here to die.

"Alright, I'll get as many people as I can and be back in five minutes, you stay in the boat!" I ordered him as I ran back up on deck.

"Listen up, everybody. We're not gonna be able to save the ship, we need to get out of here while we can. Everybody follow me to the longboats," I yelled so everyone could hear. Everybody stopped what they were doing for a second to turn and look at me. A few took a step forward before the Captain's voice stopped them.

"Everybody get back to work!" the Captain yelled. I turned to look at him in disgust.

"How can you stand here and fool yourself into thinking everything is alright? Are you just gonna let all these people die?" I yelled at him. I ran a hand through my hair, frustrated. I turned around and ran right into Ambassador Clarence.

"Jim, what's all this commotion?" he asked me, looking around at all the destruction above deck.

"We only have 15% capacity left in our thrusters and our engine has failed, but the Captain refuses to evacuate the ship!" I explained. Clarence looked past me at the Captain.

"Ah, well I'll take care of that," he said, walking up to the helm. "Excuse me, Captain…"

I looked around at the crew. Their faces were indifferent, but I could see fear in their eyes, but they knew they had to obey their Captain. They were all like programmed little robots, only following one person's instructions, never fighting back, even when it was needed. I would never be like them, not even if it meant flunking out of the Academy.

"Alright, yes, I understand," I heard the Captain say. "Ok, but just give my engineers five minutes to at least try and fix the problem. Landing on earth is a last resort, you know all those stories about spacers landing there; very few make it out alive to tell the tale." So that was what made the Captain reluctant to leave the ship, the stories about Earth. I'd always been one to believe stories, especially the one's my mom read to me about Treasure Planet when I was little, but these were more like rumors, they couldn't be true, could they?

"Men, head to the longboats, abandon ship!" the Captain's voice rang out. _Finally_, I thought in my head.

The men didn't need to be told twice; they raced down to the longboats below the deck and piled in them. I rushed back to the crew's quarters and grabbed my solar surfer from where I had hidden it behind two large barrels, since they never got moved. I'd built one in my spare time when I was at home on vacation from the Academy, and had smuggled it aboard the _Raven_. You never know when a solar surfer might come in handy, it certainly did when escaping from Treasure Planet. Suddenly something cool and smooth hit the side of my face. I didn't even jump, I was used to it already.

"There you are, Morph! Come on, we have to get out of here before the ship burns up!" I yelled as I slipped my surfer under one arm. Morph zoomed past me and was already waiting for me on Ryker's shoulder when I arrived. I jumped in the boat and stashed my surfer under the seats as the boat was lowered from the quickly descending ship. Our boat was the last one to be launched out of the two on the ship. Since the other boat had already been launched that left Ryker and I with the only boat left.

"Ryker, where's your dad?" I asked as the boat lowered itself. I couldn't believe the Ambassador had left his son all by himself in the only other boat.

"He left on the first boat. He tried to get me to come with him, but I told him I had to wait for you to come back," he explained. As soon as our boat was dropped I took control and quickly got us out of the way of the ship, then hovered for a moment, looking for the other ship. I saw it descending into gray storm clouds. I looked around and saw that they extended for miles. It was never a good idea to land in the middle of a storm, but we couldn't really just hover up here indefinitely, we didn't have any other choice.

"Ryker, close the solar sails, we can't risk them being damaged." With no sail we had to reply only on the thrusters, which made flying more difficult, but it was better that risking the solar sails being hit by lightning and catching fire. As soon as we flew into the clouds rain pelted us from every side, soaking us as thunder rumbled loudly in our ears.

"Hang on tight!" I yelled to Ryker over the noise. Ryker laid down low in the boat and held onto Morph and my solar surfer while I steered the boat. I shielded my eyes from the rain and made out the outline of the other boat, overloaded with people. I guess none of them wanted to wait for the second boat. Suddenly a streak of lightning lit up the sky and struck the middle of the boat. I heard piercing screams before the boat smashed down to the ground below in a fiery blaze, which was quickly put out by the downpour.

Ryker, hearing the noise tried to sit up, but I pushed his head back down. "What was that?" he asked.

"Nothing," I lied. I couldn't tell the boy his father had just died, and I didn't want him to see the remains of the ship either, I knew that if he did it would haunt him for the rest of his life. I glanced at the ship for a brief second to see if anyone had miraculously survived, but there was nothing left but black, burned wood and ashes. I looked back up and yelled in surprise.

Our boat smashed into a tree that I hadn't seen and flipped over, sending us tumbling from the boat. I was sent flying from the boat right into the branches of shorter trees. I felt the sharp twigs and branches scratch me as I fell through the trees, until I managed to grab onto a branch and pull myself up. I climbed up to the top of the tree and looked around for Ryker, but it was hard to see much of anything in the rain.

I climbed down and set off in the direction where the boat flipped over. I found Ryker lying about twenty feet away from the boat, which was now a pile of broken, soaked wood. My solar surfer was lying nearby looking a little banged up, but other than that unscathed. Ryker was lying on his back, his face twisted in pain and his leg bent at an unnatural angle. Morph was sitting on his chest, cooing softly. When he saw me he squeaked in delight and nuzzled my face. Then he pulled back and made tiny nervous squeaks, glancing back at Ryker. I ran over to him and shook his shoulder.

"Ryker, can you hear me?" I asked. Ryker opened his eyes and groaned in pain.

"Everything hurts, especially my leg," he complained softly. I noticed he was holding his side with both hands. I took both his hands in mine and moved them away, revealing a dark red stain on his shirt. _Oh no_, I thought to myself_, this is really not good_.

"Ryker, I need you to sit up, and stand if you can, so I can move you over to that tree," I told him as I put an arm behind his back and helped push him into a sitting position. He cried out in pain when I tried to make him stand, so I finally just lifted him and carried him over to the tree. I sat him up against the tree and tore off the shirt around the wound, and then wrapped it around his waist.

"Jim, where is my dad? He should be here with the crew by now! I'm scared!" he cried.

"You're going to be Ok," I told him with a pat on the shoulder. I was just as scared as him, but one of us needed to be strong. After I tied the bandage around his waist I was stumped. I wasn't a doctor, what was I supposed to do now? The rest of the crew was dead, and without a communication device or any way to tell anyone back at home where we were, we were basically stuck here for who knows how long. As far as the Academy or the queen knew we would be heading back the way we came, they had no way of knowing we were taking a longer way home because of the Procyon's demands. Even if they found out that we had taken a different way home help wouldn't come for a long time. We weren't expected home for another month or two at the most, so by the time they arrived, if they even arrived at all, we might all be dead…unless. Suddenly an idea struck me. Unless we could blend in until help arrived. With the others it might be harder because they looked so much like the Earthlings stereotypical view of what they called 'aliens', but Ryker and I looked like normal Earthlings, we could even pass as one of them. But first we needed to find somewhere to go where Ryker could get the help he needed. I walked over to my surfer and brought it over to Ryker, who was leaning against the tree, resting. I powered it up and it started to hover. I picked the sleeping boy up and put him on the board, then tied my belt around it and pulled it along while Morph rode on my shoulder. Night came quickly and soon it was hard just to see a foot in front of me, with the rain mixing well with the darkness and no moonlight shining through the storm clouds.

Suddenly I heard wolves howl in the distance and fear spread through me. Morph cooed fearfully and flew in my pocket. I reached down and patted him on the head.

"It'll be alright, Morph, I won't let anything to happen to either of you," I said quietly, straining to hear how far away the wolves were. I scanned our surrounding and spotted a small cave up ahead, barely big enough for two people, but we didn't have any other options. I pulled the solar surfer to the entrance and pushed it in then crawled inside myself. I tried making a small fire but only managed to make one big enough for Morph to warm himself a little. While we had shelter from the storm I took my shirt off and rung it out, then rung out my pants and left my boots near the fire to dry. I moved over to Ryker and shook his shoulder. He rolled over and opened his eyes a fraction of an inch. His cheeks were an unnatural light blue color and his eyes had a haze over them. He mumbled something that I couldn't understand then closed his eyes again. I managed to get his shirt off and wring it out, then tore a strip of cloth his shirt and replaced the bloody rag I'd tied around his waist earlier. After I wrung out his shirt and managed to get his pants off and wring them out I hung them over the fire I'd been able to make a little bigger. It wasn't important if my clothes were dry or not, but it was imperative that Ryker's were. After fifteen minutes they were dry and I put them back on him, and then drifted off to sleep with the sound of wolves howling in the distance.

* * *

><p>When I woke up the next morning I found Morph cooing sadly, sitting by Ryker's side. I scooted over to Ryker and shook his shoulder.<p>

"Ryker, wake up, we have to keep moving," I said softly. Suddenly I noticed how ghostly pale he was. I put a hand on his cheek and it was icy cold to the touch, despite the fire smoldering next to him.

"Ryker?" I asked, already knowing what had happened. My heart raced as I bent over him and listened for any signs of a heartbeat. After a minute of not hearing anything my eyes filled with tears and I buried my face in Ryker's shirt. I could have saved him; there must have been something I could have done! Ryker was dead, and it was all my fault. There was nobody else to blame like there had been when Mr. Arrow had been lost. I'd thought it was all my fault, when it had been Scroop's doing all along, but now there was nobody else to take the blame; Ryker was dead because of _me_! Something cold touched my cheek that burned with guilt. He cooed softly in my ear, trying to comfort me. I pushed him away.

"No, Morph, don't you get it? It's my fault he's dead! If I'd been paying attention to where we were going, I wouldn't have crashed into that tree and he would be alive now!" I yelled at him. Morph made sad cooing sounds that sounded strangely like 'not your fault'. I picked Ryker up and walked outside, laying him on the ground, then went back inside and powered down my solar surfer, dragging it outside and tying it to a tree.

I knelt down beside Ryker's body and started to dig a small hole in the dirt with my hands, but it wasn't working very well since the ground was wet and cold. Suddenly Morph appeared beside me and turned into a small shovel. I took it and began to dig a grave and within a couple hours I'd dug a hole the size of Ryker's body that was about two feet deep. I gently picked up his small body and placed it in the shallow grave, then pushed the dirt back into the hole, covering his body. I looked around and found various stones I used to cover the dirt to mark his grave, then stood up as Morph turned back into his original form and shook the dirt off himself.

I untied the solar surfer then looped my belt back around my waist and carried my surfer under one arm as I trudged through the woods. Dusk came too soon and as soon as the sun set the sound of wolves filled the woods once again, only this time they sounded closer…much closer. Their piercing howls almost scared me as much as when I looked down at my arm earlier and saw that it was starting to get infected. I looked up at the sky and sighed in relief to see that there wasn't a cloud in sight anymore. At least I would be able to walk by the moonlight. The further the moon rose in the sky the louder the wolves' howls became, and Morph was starting to whimper fearfully. I stroked his head as I hurried along. I had to be getting near a village or something!

I suddenly spotted a tall building in the distance, covered by a light fog. I was stopped suddenly by the crunching of something behind me and a low growling sound. I spun around and saw a big gray wolf standing no more than ten feet away, bearing its long, sharp fangs at me. A moment later more wolves appeared behind it, their yellow eyes glistening with hunger. I took a cautious step back when the wolves suddenly lunged. I spun on my heel and took off for the castle in the distance. When I heard a wolf snap its teeth behind me I hopped on my surfer, stomping down on the thruster and raising the sail when I remembered that the sun wasn't out, and since I'd been hiding it behind a barrel for weeks it hadn't gathered enough energy to fly, only hover a foot or two above the ground.

I kept stomping on the thruster, trying to get it to go faster, but it used a lot of what stored energy it had on carrying Ryker through the woods. The surfer was definitely faster than me running, but it could go a lot faster if the sun was out, and could fly a lot higher too. The wolves were surprised by my sudden increase in speed, but quickly compensated by running faster themselves. Within two minutes they had caught up, and I was _so close_ to the castle now…only a little farther. I hopped off my surfer and threw myself at the gate, but I quickly found out it was locked when I hit the bars and it knocked me back, leaving me dazed for a second. I glanced behind me to see the wolves only a few feet behind me. I tugged and kicked at the gates with all my might, but they wouldn't budge. I was about to give up all hope and accept my fate when the gate opened and I fell inside. I swiftly grabbed both gates and slammed them closed, stumbling back from the wolves snapping angrily at the gates. I growled at them in return and glared at them, even though I knew they didn't know what it meant. I turned to my left to see Morph had melted into a puddle of pink goo next to me, shaking. I picked him up and turned to look at the castle behind me. There must be someone in there that could help me.

It rose at least five stories high, maybe even taller with the spiraled towers that rose up to the skies, and looked gloomy from all the fog surrounding it. There were no lights on side, and no smoke from any chimneys, making me think for a second that maybe it was abandoned. But I couldn't take any chances, I would need to hide my surfer just in case; they couldn't know I was from another planet. I walked over to the wall surrounding the front of the castle and moved the dead leaves away, then hid my surfer among them, pushing the leaves back over it. I might need it later.

I looked down at Morph in my hands. What could I do about him? One look at him and they would know something was strange about me.

"Morph, I need you to change into something I can wear," I told him. I needed a way to keep him close to me, but something that wouldn't give away that I was different. Morph thought for a moment then turned into a gold earring, resembling the one I used to wear before I joined the Academy. I picked him up and put it in my ear, then walked up to the big door at the entrance. I knocked on the door and waited. After a few minutes I knocked again and pushed the door open. I glanced inside, but didn't see anyone. I slipped inside and shut the door behind me.

"Hello, is anyone here?" I called out. No response. "Hellooooo?" I took a step further and looked around. It looked deserted, but it was too clean to have been deserted for very long. Suddenly I heard something clatter to my left. I turned, but didn't see anything move.

"Hey, don't hide. I just need somewhere to stay for a while," I explained.

"Who's in my castle?" a loud voice roared from somewhere in the castle. I jumped a bit, but remained calm. "My name is Jim…Jim Hawkins. My, uh…ship crashed and I'm the only survivor, and I'm very far away from home. I was wondering if I could stay here for a while until-"

"I'm not running a charity!" the voice roared back, cutting me off.

"Look, I don't have anywhere else to go! I have no way of getting home, and there are wolves right outside the castle, where else am I supposed to go?" I yelled back.

"Why should I let you stay here? What will you do for me in return?" the voice growled; it sounded closer now.

"I can cook, clean, mop and do just about any chore. I'll do all of that if you let me stay here," I pleaded. The voice was quiet for a minute, and then I saw a shadow run down the stairs in the middle of the room. He looked like a large, overgrown wolf, only different somehow. I stumbled back in surprise. Standing before me was a large beast with brown fur all over his body with long, sharp claws and teeth, but the eyes looked human. He was wearing a red cloak with a pair of ripped pants. When he saw me staring him he roared at me.

"What are you staring at?" he yelled.

I snorted. "Maybe I would have been better off with the wolves," I muttered.

"You will be my servant here in exchange for room and board until you decide to leave. Do we have a deal or not?" he snapped.

"Yeah, whatever," I said with an indifferent shrug. I was used to dealing with arrogant jerks, especially after Scroop.

"Lumière, Cogsworth, show my servant to his room!" he yelled before storming off.

"Somebody has a temper," I mumbled to myself. Suddenly a candle stick and a clock ran up to me. I looked at them strangely. Maybe I wasn't the only alien living here.

The whole way to my room the candlestick tried to make small-talk, but I just ignored each attempt. I didn't want to talk to anyone, I just wanted to get to my room and rest.

"Well here we are, monsieur," the candlestick said when we reached a door. I walked in then slammed the door. I would need my rest, tomorrow was going to be a long day, and so was the rest of my life…

* * *

><p>Sorry this is so long, but it is the prologue and there was a lot of backstory to cover before I really get the story going, but to keep everyone entertained I added a lot of adventure and action. The next chapter will introduce Belle and start the story, and most of the rest will be told from her POV.<p>

Just so everyone knows, I don't actually own the plot. There is some stuff I made up, but the plot comes from a fan-video on youtube made by** LoveAndHeartbreak**. Just type in **'Belle/Jim Everything You Want'** and you'll find it, or just follow the link on my profile. It'll give away the ending, so may you might wanna wait until the story is over to watch it if you don't like spoilers.

So, anyways, leave a review, tell me what you think, all that stuff. =)


	2. Standing Up To The Beast

"_There are some love stories that are easy to tell. Cinderella met the prince at a ball, they fell in love. She left, and he came after her. Sleeping Beauty and the prince fell in love, then he came after her when fate tore them apart. They're the classic love stories that give us hope when our own stories seem to be quickly heading for a disastrous ending. But there are some stories that cannot be contained in a fairy tale book, the big screen, or even a box. They're the big stories. The great loves."_

- DancingAmongTheStars

**One Year Later**

I lay down in the grass and watched the white dandelion seeds drift off in the breeze. I silently wished for a more exciting life, full of adventure, danger and love. I looked back down at the grass and ran my fingers through it. I knew my wishing was in vain. I would always live right here, right now, in this boring, provincial life.

Suddenly a high-pitched neighing jarred me from my thoughts. I jumped a little then looked up to see Philippe barreling across the field towards me.

"Philippe, what are you doing here?" I asked worriedly. He was supposed to with my father who was traveling to a fair being held in another town tomorrow. I jumped up and grabbed the reigns as I tried to calm him down. When I looked behind him I saw the wagon safe and sound, but without my father on it, I panicked.

"Where's papa? Where is he Philippe?" I cried. "What happened?" The horse neighed in fright as he glanced back at the foreboding woods he came from. I ran in the house and grabbed my cloak then raced back to Philippe waiting on the hill. I hurriedly unlatched him from the cart and climbed on his back.

"Oh, we have to find him! You have to take me to him," I told him, and he set off.

As we traveled farther and farther away from my small town questions started running through my head. Why did I ever let papa go off by himself? He was always bad with directions; I should have gone with him! This was all my fault, and now he was lost…or worse! I closed my eyes and pushed that thought away from my mind. No, I couldn't let myself think like that, my father had to be alive, he just had to be!

When I opened my eyes I saw Philippe had led us to an ominous looking forest. Why did father ever decided to take this road? I could hear the distant howling of wolves and my grip tightened on the reigns.

"Please be Ok, papa," I whispered as Philippe took us farther into the dark woods. Suddenly the tall towers of a castle came into view, surrounded by a mist that made the castle look scarier than it probably was.

"What is this place?" I murmured to myself. As Philippe came to the castle's gate he reared back in fear when he heard a wolf off in the distance.

"Shh, calm down boy, it's Ok. Steady," I said soothingly as I stroked his neck and hopped off. I looked inside and saw papa's hat, lying discarded in the middle of the road. I ran forward and pushed the gate open and picked up his hat.

"Papa," I whispered to myself as I looked up at the castle in front of me. I went back to Philippe and led him inside and left him by the front wall as I walked up to the door. I knocked on it, but when no one answered I pushed the doors open.

"Papa, are you here? Hello? Papa?" I called out. I knew he was here…somewhere. In front of me was a large staircase, so I walked up and took the left path. I followed it down a long hallway with paintings on both side until I came to a door.

"Hello, is anybody here? I'm looking for my father," I called out again. I got down to the end of the hallway when I heard a clatter behind me. I spun around to see a door move. I ran through the door and looked around.

"Wait, I'm looking for my father!" I called out to the person who'd made the noise. I took a step in and followed the stone staircase that spiraled upward. _That's funny, I was sure I heard someone…_I thought to myself

"Hello, is anybody here?" I asked as I grabbed a torch hanging on the wall.

"Belle?" a weak voice answered. My heart beat faster as I looked around for my father, finally spotting his hand sticking out from a barred window at the bottom of one of the cell doors.

"Papa!" I cried, running over to him. I reached through the bars and grabbed both his hands. There were icy cold. My heart almost broke at the sight of seeing him here like this. How dare someone treat my father like this! I was vaguely aware of him telling me to run, but I didn't care. He was alive, and that was the only thing that mattered right now.

"Belle, listen to me, you need to lea-"

"Papa, who did this to you?" I pleaded with him to tell me.

"No time to explain, you have to leave now!" he exclaimed. I frowned and held onto his hands tighter.

"I won't leave you!" I declared. Suddenly I heard a loud roar right behind me and felt something grab my arm and twist me around. The torch in my hand splashed into a nearby puddle, extinguishing the flame. Without the fire we were in total darkness, except for a nearby window that let in a small shaft of light.

"Who's there? Who are you?" I called out in fear.

"The master of this castle," the person growled back, pacing around in the darkness.

"I've come for my father! Please, let him out. Can't you see he's sick?" I said with determination.

"Then he shouldn't have come here!" he yelled at me.

"But he could die!" I yelled back, pleading. "I'll do anything, just let him go!"

"There's nothing you can do now, he's my prisoner," he muttered before walking away.

"Wait!" I called after him. There must be something I could do to save him! Suddenly an idea struck me. "Take me instead!"

"You?" he spat out, almost amused, but then he went silent for a moment. "You…would take his place?" I ignored my father's protests from inside the cell, standing up.

"_If_ I did…would you let him go?" I asked uncertainly.

"Yes!" he answered quickly. "But you must promise to stay here forever!" This made me think for a minute. A life away from my town, my books, and mostly important…my father? I always wanted to get away from that boring old town, go place, see things…but not like this! I looked back up at the man, or at least, I tried too but he was still hidden in the darkness.

"Come into the light," I asked him, raising an eyebrow. Suddenly a foot slipped into a light, a hairy foot with big, sharp claws, and then he took a full step forward to reveal a monstrous beast towering over me. He had fur covering his body and two sharp horns on the top of his head with fangs that stuck out from between his lips. I gasped in fright and jumped back, turning away from him and back to my father. I could hear my father yelling in protest, trying to grab my arms to keep me away from the monster. I closed my eyes as I stood up and took a step into the light.

"You have my word," I said softly.

"Done!" he yelled, then stormed past me and unlatched the door holding my father inside. I crumbled to the floor in a crying heap. Even thought I would have to live with this Beast for the rest of my life I knew I would never regret the decision I'd made to save my father. Suddenly I felt a pair of warm arms wrap around me.

"No, listen to me Belle, I'm old; I've lived my life-" he tried to explain to me, when suddenly the Beast grabbed my father by the shirt and dragged him away from me.

"Wait, wait!" I called after him. I ran to the window in time to see the Beast throw my father into a carriage and see it walk away then disappear into the fog around the castle. A sob escaped my lips as buried my face in my hands. A few minutes I heard the Beast's footsteps come up the steps. When he stepped into the room I turned to face him with a scowl in my face.

"You didn't even let me say goodbye!" I sobbed. "I'll never see him again! And I didn't even get to say goodbye."

"I'll show you too your room," was all he said. I voiced my confusion. I thought I'd be kept in the same cell my father had been in earlier.

"You wanna stay in a cell?" he snapped.

"No…"

"Then follow me!" The walk down from the tower passed by in a blur. I was still trying to come to terms with the fact that I would never again see the people I loved, the place I'd grown up in and called my home. I was suddenly distracted from my thoughts when I looked down from the balcony to the main hall and saw a boy that looked a little younger than me. He had a bucket sitting next to him and he was mopping the marble floor. His appearance was strange. He had dark brown hair that was shaved from the ear down, except for a braided ponytail at the back of his neck. He wore strange clothes too. He wore a dirty, loose-fitting white shirt with baggy blue pants and leather boots. He certainly didn't look French.

"I, uh…hope you like it here. The castle is your home now, so you can go anywhere you like…except the west wing." I hadn't been paying attention till he mentioned something forbidden. That sparked my interest.

"What's in the west wi-" I started to ask softly, but he cut me off.

"It's forbidden!" he roared, turning around to glare at me. We finally reached a door at the end of the hall. The Beast opened my door and I walked inside, just looked around. This room was as big as my house back at the village. I was barely aware of the beast saying something about his servant as I gazed around at my new room in awe.

"You will, uh…join me for dinner…_that is not a request_!" he yelled the last part and then slammed the door shut. I pounded my fists on the door then turned around with a sob. I ran over to my bed and threw myself onto it, crying. This whole day was already the worst day of my life, and I'd had my share of bad days. Gaston proposing to me had been one of my top one's, but even this was ten times worse than that! After a while I calmed down enough to sit up and wipe my tears away. Suddenly I heard a soft sloshing sound coming from outside my room.

I quietly got up and opened the door a crack. Mopping near a window a few doors down from my own was the same boy I'd seen earlier, a somber look on his face as he worked. His bangs fell in his eyes as he worked, but he didn't make any effort to push them away. I slipped out of my room, noiselessly closing my door behind me. I walked over to the boy and he looked up when he heard my footsteps approaching. For the first time I noticed how big his eyes were, and how blue. They were the color of the sea on a calm day, but in his eyes I could see a storm going on. Something must be bothering him.

"Hello, I was wondering if you could…" I wanted to ask him if he could simply talk to me, seeing as how he was the only person I'd seen since my father left who hadn't yelled at me.

"What do you want, lady?" he asked.

"I beg your pardon?" I asked, surprised at his rude remark. He rolled his eyes and continued mopping.

"Whatever," he mumbled.

"I was wondering if there's anyone else besides me, you and the beast here. When I came here I didn't see-"

"Yeah, there's a few other servants. You'll see them if you go looking for them," he interrupted me.

"What do they do around her-" I started to ask when the boy suddenly smacked his mop against the floor, causing water to splatter on the wall.

"Would you just leave me alone?" he almost yelled at me. "I'm trying to work!" I could feel tears coming on. Everybody here was so cold and mean.

"I'm sorry, monsieur," I said quickly before walking quickly back to my room. I closed the door and walked over to my bed then lay down and pulled the covers up to my chin. I would have laid there for the rest of the night, when a sudden knocking came from my door. I went to go answer it, thinking it might be the boy coming to apologize, but instead I found a teapot standing right outside.

"Hello, dear, Mrs. Potts here. Thought you might like a spot of tea," she said as she hopped inside. I gasped and stepped back in surprise.

"But you're…you're a…" I tried to explain myself, but I couldn't find the right words. What was going on here? Suddenly I bumped into something behind me, making it shake.

"Oops, careful," a singsong voice came from behind me. I spun around to see my dresser talking to me. I stumbled back and sat down on my bed.

"This is impossible!" I exclaimed in shock.

"I know it is, but here we are!" the dresser said with a smile, leaning against my bed.

"Are…are you _all_ like this?" I asked.

"Yes," Mrs. Potts answered, then added as an after though, "Well, all except for Jim." Jim. He must be that boy who I talked to earlier who was mopping. I wonder for a second why he was the only human here, but Mrs. Potts interrupted my thoughts when she pushed a small teacup over to me. I took a sip and listened to Mrs. Potts talk. She was the only caring one I'd met so far, well, except the dresser.

"…Look at me blabbing on while there's a supper to be made!" she exclaimed, then she hopped out of the room with the teacup, Chip, close behind. I leaned back in my bed and tried to take it all in. That must be why this castle seemed to strange…because it was enchanted! As soon as the door closed behind Mrs. Potts the dresser started talking about getting me ready for dinner, but it wasn't until she pulled out a dark pink dress and held it in front of me that I answered her.

"That's very kind of you, but I'm not going to dinner," I told her politely.

"But you must!" she said when suddenly a clock scampered in the room.

"Dinner is served…" he announced.

**Jim's POV**

What was that girl doing here, and where did she come from? I found myself asking these questions as I mopped. I hadn't seen an earthling for the year I'd been here, which I quickly learned was because of a magic spell, or a curse, as some of the servants liked to call it. They said something about the beast being under a curse until he could find a girl or something; I always tuned them out when they started talking about all that hocus-pocus stuff. The only one I actually liked here was Mrs. Potts, because she reminded me of my mother so much. So caring and sweet to everyone, but even she made me angry today. The servants here all loved me, I think, because I was the first human they'd seen in a long time, and they all seemed determined to remind me of that terrible day a year ago that I stumbled into this castle.

All the servants thought it would be fun to throw me a party because I'd been here exactly one year today, thinking it would cheer me up. They were wrong. Today was the one day I didn't want to remember. It was a day I would do anything to forget. Today was the anniversary of the day my life ended. Today was the anniversary of the day I realized I would never again see my mom, or any of my other friends for that matter. Today was a day I didn't want to talk to anyone, so when that new girl came to talk, I just snapped. I wasn't mad at her, not really, I just didn't want to be reminded of what happened a year ago, I just wanted to work until the day ended, hopefully distracting me from those haunting memories. I just wanted today to be over with as soon as possible.

A loud roar coming from downstairs made me jump in surprise as I heard the thundering of feet run up the castle stairs. A moment later the beast flew past me and started banged on the girl's door.

"I thought I told you to come to dinner!" he roared. Wow, such a ladies man. A muffled reply came from inside the girl's room.

"You come out or I'll…I'll break down the door!" Yeah, cause that will totally make her like you more. Things quieted down for but, but a few minutes later he roared,

"You can't stay in there forever!"

I could barely make out her response, but I laughed once I heard her determined, "Yes I can!" No one in this castle had ever stood up to the beast besides me.

"Then go ahead and _starve_!" He took off in a huff before mumbling something to Lumière. I could feel my admiration growing for this new girl. She had guts, I'll give her that. As I thought back on our short conversation earlier I felt guilty. I knew what it was like to be a stranger in a place where you didn't know anyone. I sighed when I realized I should apologize and maybe try and make her feel better. I dunked my mop back into the bucket and pushed it off to the side. I walked down to the kitchen and heard the cook grumbling about fixing a dinner and having it go to waste.

When I walked in Mrs. Potts looked up and smiled. "Hello, Jim, what can we do for you?"

"Well, I'm really hungry, have any food?" I asked.

Mrs. Potts turned to the stove. "Now what were you saying about all that food going to waste?" she asked him with a grin.

"What do you want? I have Blanquette de veau, Cog au vin, Casoulet, and for dessert, Choux à la crème, Madeleine, and Tartes aux fruits."

"I'll take all of it," I said with a shrug. All the servants stopped what they were doing to stare at me in surprise.

"All of it? Are you sure you can eat it all, Monsieur?" Lumière asked, disbelief evident in his voice.

"Yeah, sure," I said. "Just put it on a tray or something, I'm gonna take it upstairs to eat."

"Well, if you're sure…" Mrs. Potts said. The strove quickly heated up the food again and Mrs. Potts and Lumière put it on a large silver plate they found in a cupboard. I picked up the tray and walked upstairs, careful not to let the beast know what I was doing. When I got to the girl's door I set the food down on the floor and knocked on her door.

"I'm not coming down to dinner!" she yelled from inside.

"I know, that's why I'm here," I replied. A moment later the door opened to reveal her, slightly surprised.

"Yes?" she asked with a hint of anger in her voice. I guess she was still a little mad at me because of before. I rubbed the back of my neck, something I always did when I was nervous.

"Look, about what I said earlier…I, it's just that I haven't been having a very good day today," I half explained.

"Well in case you haven't noticed I'm not having a very pleasant day either!" she said with a frown.

"It's just that this day reminds me of what happened a year ago, something I don't really like to remember. And about what I said…I'm sorry. I guess today just isn't our day, huh?" I tried to joke, but the girl just stood there.

"But, uh…I brought you something to make up for it. I figured you might be a little hungry after today, so, here you go…" I bent down and picked up the tray. When the girl saw all the food on the tray her eyes got wide.

"Oh my, thank you, Monsieur!" she said. She took a step back and opened the door wider, gesturing for me to come in. I walked in and set the tray down on her bed, then went to leave when she called me back.

"I can't all this food by myself, why don't you stay and help?" she asked. I turned around and saw the lonely look on her face; the same look I had on my face for the past year. I sighed as I turned around and sat down on the floor. The girl came and sat down next to me, setting the tray in front of both of us.

"So, uh, what's your name?" I asked as I picked up a cream puff and popped it in my mouth.

"Belle," she answered.

"Huh, that's a pretty name," I said, forcing a small smile. "My name is-"

"Jim," she answered for me, smiling back.

"Mrs. Potts told me," she explained when I gave her a questioning look.

"So, what are you doing here? I take it you're here against your will?" I asked. Belle's smile faltered and she nodded.

"Yes. I came here looking for my father and when I saw him sitting in that cell in the castle…I made a deal with the Beast. He released my father and in return I have to stay here forever."

"Do you think it was worth it?" I asked.

She nodded. "Of course. I'd do anything to save my father."

"So I take it you really love him, don't you?"

Belle nodded, a smile crossing her lips once again. "Of course, don't you love your father?" A scowl came across my face like a reflex. I hated when people brought up my father. When they found out he left me and my mother they would always look at me like I was broken without a father. I didn't answer and instead looked away. She shook her head as she picked up a piece of chicken. "But enough about me, how did you come here?"

I frowned as a reflex and Belle looked surprised when she saw the dark look pass over my face. She suddenly remembered what I told her earlier.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot-"

"It's alright. I just don't wanna talk about it," I said a little harsher than I should have. It was quiet after that. After we'd finished the meal I picked up the tray and headed for the door.

"Jim?" her voice made me turn around to face her. "Thanks for everything." For the first time I felt a genuine smile come over my face.

"No problem."

* * *

><p>Sorry that a lot of this is just repetition from the movie, but I promise most of it will be original. Anyways, to answer the question of my reviewer, no, the whole story won't be told from Jim's POV, it'll be from both of their POV's, but mostly Belle's, although I'll try to make it even. And maybe one or two chapters will be from Belle's father's POV back at the village.<p>

So anyways, leave me a message and tell me what you thought. I wasn't too sure about this chapter when I wrote it, but my mom and boyfriend liked it so I decided it was good enough, but I wanna know what you guys think.

Oh, and just in case anyone was curious the quote at the beginning of this chapter was from a youtube member with that name. They had a Jim/Belle video with the song Perfect, and I found this quote perfect for this chapter, so I decided to use it. Also, this is the translation of what they had for dinner: Blanquette de veau (blanquette of veal), Cog au vin (rooster in red wine), Casoulet (duck with different sausages served with white beans), and for dessert, Choux à la crème (cream puffs), Madeleine (a small cake-like cookie), and Tartes aux fruits (fruit tarts).


	3. Reading Together In The Library

**Maurice's POV**

I could feel the carriage swaying back and forth as it walked, tossing me from side to side. I banged on the sides.

"No, let me out! You let me out!" I yelled at it then suddenly I started coughing uncontrollably. I leaned back and put my hand against my head. I felt so strange. Suddenly the carriage lurched and came to a sudden stop. The back hatch opened and I was tossed out in the snow. When I finally managed to sit up the carriage was long gone. I looked around to see that I had been dropped off in the village square. I needed to get help! There was no way I could take on that monster by myself; I needed someone like…I heard shouts, laughter and singing coming from the local tavern and saw Gaston's shadowy figure through the dirty window…someone like Gaston. I picked myself up and ran for the bar, throwing open the swinging double doors.

"Help, someone help me!" I yelled before coughing again. Everyone there was startled and looked up in alarm. "Please, I need your help!" I ran up to a man sitting on one of the bar stools and grabbed him by the collar, then I ran over to a man sitting at a table. "He's got her…got her locked in the dungeon!"

"Who?" the man asked.

"Belle!" I exclaimed. "We must go now, not a minute to lose!"

"Whoa, whoa, slow down there Maurice, who's got Belle locked in a dungeon?" Gaston asked from his chair near the fireplace. From his tone and the smile on his face I could tell he wasn't taking me very seriously.

"A beast!" I exclaimed, running over to Gaston. "A horrible, monstrous beast!" For a moment everything was dead silent, and then suddenly everyone in the bar burst out laughing. I looked around at everyone in surprise. Why didn't they believe me? My only daughter had been taken from me, and nobody was taking me seriously! Suddenly people were coming up to me, asking about what the beast looked like. I confirmed all their fears.

"Yes, yes, all of that. Will you help me?" I pleaded. Gaston held up his hands in resignation.

"Alright, old man, we'll help you out," he said.

"You will?" I asked, looking up in surprise. They weren't such bad people after all, I decided; they always came through for you when you needed them. "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!" Suddenly two men grabbed my arms on either side and picked me up.

"Wait, where are you taking me?" I asked them in alarm. When we got to the door they opened it and tossed me out, headfirst into the snow. When I raised my head I heard loud laughing coming from inside. As I got up I felt numb inside, then suddenly collapsed again in a coughing fit. I felt my head again and this time it felt hot to the touch, despite the cold. I shook my thoughts away and concentrated on what just happened. How could they do this to me? When have I ever lied to them about something before, and something as important as this at that! I hurriedly brushed the dirt and snow off my clothes and looked around. The street was deserted, and no one in the tavern believed me! I looked up at the sky as the wind and snow swirled around me.

"Will no one help me?" I called out. I hung my head in despair. Everything seemed to be going wrong! I lifted my head after a few minutes with new determination. Never mind, I didn't need them! I would go back and rescue Belle myself!

I slowly hiked back to my house and started a fire. As soon as it was blazing I ran upstairs and started to pack, changing into a clean, dry pair of clothes. Suddenly my head started to spin and I fell back on my bed. I closed my eyes and forced the world to stop spinning. This was no time to act weak, Belle needed my help! I pushed myself off my bed and grabbed my messenger bags as I headed downstairs. I ran over to the kitchen table and started throwing my maps into the bag, all while I muttered angrily to myself.

"If no one will help me then I'll go back alone!" I said as I packed various instrument and things I needed for the trip back. "I don't care what it takes! Somehow I'll find that castle, and I'll…I'll-" I suddenly felt my legs go out from under me and I fell over hunched against the door in a cold sweat. I gasped for air and when the feeling finally passed I got up and leaned against the wall for support. Oh, it was no use, I would never make it like this!

I looked up the stairs to my bedroom that seemed like safe haven from down here. I carefully crawled up the stairs and slipped under the covers. I would rest and then set out tomorrow for my daughter! Suddenly a knocking came from downstairs, then a loud banging as the door flew open.

"Maurice? Belle?" I recognized Gaston's voice but I couldn't find the strength to answer. Maybe he changed his mind and wanted to help me after all! A second later the door slammed shut again and I felt my hopes drop even more. No matter, I'd still set off tomorrow for her, and nothing would stop me then! Suddenly another coughing fit took over me and I finally blacked out.

**Belle's POV**

Early in the morning I got up and put on a light green dress, then set off to explore the castle. It was better than staying in my room all day. I walked through the long winding halls and finally came to a pair of wide double doors at the end of a particularly long hall. It was slightly ajar, and I heard sounds coming from inside, so I tiptoed to the entrance and pushed the door open a little. At first I was awestruck at the towering walls of books and more books. It was like a paradise for me. After a few minutes I was finally able to tear my eyes away from the books and I noticed Jim standing there with his mop and bucket, cleaning the floor even though there was no mess. In fact, the floors were sparkling. I pushed the doors open and walked in, smiling at Jim when he looked up.

"Bonjour, Jim," I greeted him.

"Oh, hey Belle. I didn't know you knew where the library was," he said.

"I didn't, but I'm glad I found it. I love books!" I said with a big smile. I walked over to a ladder and climbed up, looking at all the titles and trying to figure out where to start. I finally picked a book called _Paradise Lost_, then climbed down and sat in a nearby chair. After a while Jim walked over and stood in front of me, mopping the area in front of my feet. I looked up to find Jim staring at the book in my hands.

"What are you reading?" he asked curiously.

"_Paradise Lost_," I told him, "it's about Adam and Eve and the fall of man." Jim replied with a curious but confused expression on his face.

"You mean you don't know the story?" I asked, clearly surprised.

"Should I?"

"Well, I thought everyone knew the story," I said, closing the book and placing it on the table beside me. I knew not everyone read the Bible, but I thought everyone at least knew the story, but is it possible that Jim didn't?

"Do you want to read the story?" I asked, holding out the book.

Jim turned away. "I can't, I don't have time. I have to work, clean and sometimes cook every day."

"Oh…" I said sadly, and then suddenly a thought came to me, "Well, do you want me to read you the story while you work?"

Jim smiled. "You're not gonna give up are you?" he asked.

I smiled in return. "My father says I'm very stubborn."

"Yeah, I can tell. Alright, I guess that would work." he said with a nod. I opened the book and began to read.

**1 Week Later…**

I walked into the library just in time to see the sunlight streaming in through the wide window and catch the sunlight dancing across the sparkling floor. Jim and I spent an hour in here every morning; he cleaned while I read, and as a result this room became the cleanest in the castle. I had the book tucked under my arm and Jim was at his usual spot, in the middle of the room mopping the already flawless floor.

He had really changed since that first day I saw him. He rarely smiled, but it was becoming more common with each day, and he was starting to laugh a little too when he joked around after we were done reading for the morning.

"Are you ready to finish the book? We're on the last few pages," I said with a smile. Jim's usual indifferent look turned into a frown.

"Already?" he asked.

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean we have to stop reading. After we finish this we can read Dante's _Inferno_. It's his interpretation of Hell," I said. Jim just shrugged as I sighed and took my place on the chair nearby. I opened the book and began to read.

* * *

><p>"<em>They, hand in hand, with wandering steps and slow, Through Eden took their solitary way,"<em> I finished, closing the book. When I was silent for a few moments Jim looked up.

"So that's the ending…" he said, trailing off.

"Yeah." After a minute's silence I finally put the book down on the table next to me. "Are you sure you've never heard the story?"

"Never," he finally said, starting to mop again. I nodded. I couldn't keep one nagging thought away: how could he go his whole life without knowing the story? It was one of the first stories a child learned in school.

"Where…did you say you were from again?" I asked slowly, raising an eyebrow. Jim got a strange look on his face as he turned away from me.

"Around. You know, that place-country near here," he said quickly.

"Which country? Italy? Germany? Spain?" I questioned.

"Yeah, Germany…it was a small village near the border," he explained. He sounded convincing enough…but something was definitely odd about him, something I couldn't quite place my finger on…

"And how did you come here?" I asked when he turned back around to face me. A look of pain came across his face for a second, and I realized I might have asked a personal question. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry-" I tried to apologize but he just shrugged.

"I don't want to talk about it. Just…forget it," he said quickly. I looked back at the floor Jim was mopping.

"Why are you cleaning the floor? It's already spotless."

"I clean here a lot because it's the one place the Beast never comes," he said with a small smile. I laughed.

"I guess that's a pretty good reason."

"I also liked how you stood up to the Beast a few days ago. That was pretty awesome," he said. I shrugged.

"It was nothing. He's not much different than another man I know from my village," I said with a shrug.

"Really?"

"Yes, his name was Gaston. He was the most popular man in town, particularly with the women, but he didn't seem interested in any of them. Then one day he came to my house and proposed to me. Me, of all people!"

"Is that good or bad?"

"Bad. He's arrogant, pushy and rude. Just like the Beast, and I turned both of them down. It seems the only men I meet are like that," I said with a shrug, "Except you, of course."

"Well that's good to know." Suddenly Jim bumped into a table, knocking a pile of books onto the floor. Jim let out a sigh as he propped his mop up against the table and reached down to pick up the books. I quickly got up and picked up a few books, setting them back on the table. One particular book caught my eye. It was called _Don Quixote_. I'd heard Monsieur DuPont from the book store back at home speak very highly of it. Unfortunately, he didn't have it in his bookstore and I had to settle for hearing DuPont retell the parts of the book he remembered. I picked it up again and went back to my chair, then flipped open to the first two pages.

"I take it you like reading?" Jim asked when he saw me starting a new book after just finishing one. I looked up and smiled.

"Oh, yes! I love books. They're so full of adventure and danger, unlike the boring old village life I used to live," I explained.

"Adventure, huh? I've had my share of that." I looked up at Jim with a new interest. Jim caught my look and a nervous expression came over his face.

"Really? What kinds of adventures have you been on?" I asked excitedly.

"Oh, nothing much really. It was hardly an adventure," he said.

"Please tell me?"

Jim sighed. "I've been on ships, traveled places, the usual," Jim said with a dismissing sweep of his hand.

"Where did-" I started to ask, but Jim cut me off.

"I'd love to talk, but I have to clean the rest of the castle, and you have those books to read," Jim said curtly, picking up his bucket of water and practically running out of the room.

What was with Jim? I thought to myself as I watched him disappear from the room. There was definitely something strange about that boy. I only wish I knew what it was…

**Jim's POV**

I ran from the room and away from Belle, who seemed full of so many questions I couldn't answer. I finally reached my room and closed the door. Morph suddenly flew off my ear and turned back into his original form.

"Tell her," Morph cooed. I looked up at him and frowned.

"You know I can't do that! If she finds out I'm from another planet she'll tell someone, and who knows what they'll do to me? We can't tell _anyone_, remember?" I reminded him. Morph made a sad squeaking sound before going over to my bed and plopping down on it. I walked over to a chair and sat down. Earthlings were paranoid beings, and believed that the only reason an 'alien' would land on their planet would be to take over the Earth. They were afraid of the unknown; things they didn't understand, and in the stories they reacted violently to that which was different than them. They were afraid only because some of us looked different and because our DNA was different than theirs. They didn't realize how much we had in common with them, and they would probably never give us the chance to show them. Suddenly another question popped into my head: How could I keep what I was from Belle?

She wasn't dumb, I knew that much about her already. She was probably already suspicious of me, even if she didn't know exactly what was different about me, and I couldn't let her find out what that was. She asked so many questions, and I couldn't think up responses fast enough. When the servants asked about my life before I came here I always said I didn't want to talk about it and eventually they stopped asking, but Belle had a subtle way of bringing it up and tricking me into revealing more about my past, even if she didn't do it on purpose. I ran my hand through my hair, frustrated. Suddenly Morph changed back into an earring, and I put him back on my ear.

"You're right, we've got work to do," I said with determination. I picked up my bucket and mop and set out for the main hall. It was in need of another cleaning.

* * *

><p>I was just finishing mopping the left wing's main hallways when I passed by the stairs that led to the dungeon room, and heard a soft noise coming from inside.<p>

I pushed the door open and silently climbed the stone steps, the noise getting louder. I finally came to the room with the cell's and spotted Belle sitting in the little alcove in the wall with the window that looked out onto the pathway that led to the castle. Belle was kneeling over, her face in her hands and her shoulders shaking as she sobbed. I dropped my mop and bucket, causing the water to spill, but I didn't care at the moment. I ran over to Belle as she looked up in alarm.

"Belle, what's wrong?" I asked as I kneeled down in front of her.

"I just really miss my father," she said softly as she glanced over at a cell and quickly wiped her tears away. I gave her a sympathetic look and for the first time it wasn't forced.

"You two are really close, aren't you?" I asked.

Belle nodded. "I never knew my mother since she died during childbirth, so he was the one who took care of me, and he did it all by himself. He always made sure I was well-fed and worked hard to make sure I had the best, and now that I'm older I hoped to take care of him as he got older. Now he's all alone, and I can't help him if he ever needs it."

"But you saved his life. That counts for something, right?" I asked, trying to cheer her up.

"Yes, but it's not just that. I feel so alone without him here. He was the only one I could talk to in my small village. No one else in my town understood me, except maybe the bookstore owner. I never heard them say it to my face, but I think that they all thought to themselves that I was a little…strange. I feel so misunderstood, like no one else gets me, and I just wish someone could understand me for once, just for a moment maybe."

**Belle's POV**

Jim looked in my eyes and I saw something I never saw before in anyone else-understanding. For what I was going through, for what I'd always longed for back at home. "I know how you feel," he said softly. I was shocked by this new revelation. Could someone finally relate to me? I talked to Mrs. Potts yesterday about how Jim came here and she said he came here one day asking for shelter in return for working as a servant until he leaves, and he just never left. She said he never talked about his past and that she believed he had something terrible happen to him that he tries to forget by never speaking about it.

"I hate being away from him," she said, "I just wish I could go home instead of being stuck here in this castle. I feel like I'll never be happy again."

"It'll be alright," he said, taking my hands in his and giving them a light squeeze.

"How do you know?" I sniffled.

"Because I thought the same thing when I first came here, but then you came," he said with a small smile, "And now I have someone to talk too, and I don't feel so alone anymore."

I smiled as I dropped my eyes back to the ground. I could feel my cheeks turning warm. A small squeaking sound made me look up in confusion. Jim face had a look of fear on it as he clamped his hand over his ear. Suddenly there was another sound, this one softer than the last, and it seemed to be coming from Jim's ear.

"Jim, what is that?" I asked.

Jim gave me a nervous laugh and shrugged. Suddenly something pink and slimy slipped out from between Jim's fingers and Jim cursed. I gasped in surprise and fell backwards.

"What is that?" I asked in alarm.

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><p>Another chapter, and a cliff hanger at that! =) I just love writing this story. It's different than my other stories. With most of them I only write a few chapters before I get bored, or distracted, or I can't come up with a plot, then it gets forgotten, but I'm working steadily on this, so yay! =D Anyways, as always, let me know what you think of this update, I always love to come here and see new reviews, and I appreciate each of my reviewers and Story Alert subscribers, you guys are awesome! =)<p> 


	4. Tales Of Adventure And A Provincial Life

**Belle's POV**

The pink blob reformed into a floating ball of pink…well, I don't know what it was! The pink thing cooed and flew up to my face, nuzzling it. I froze for a minute then realized it didn't want to hurt me. I giggled and reached out to touch the creature. It felt smooth and cool to the touch.

"It's so cute!" I said.

"So cute, so cute, so cute," I imitated, suddenly transforming into a miniature version of me. I laughed as it flew back to Jim and landed on his shoulder. Jim glared at the pink creature, looking like he wanted to strangle it.

"Why did you do that?" he yelled at the creature. It whimpered and flattened itself against his shoulder. Jim let out a frustrated sigh as he rubbed his temple.

"Jim…" I asked cautiously. He looked up and I could see he was mad, but I just had to know, "What is that thing?"

"He's a Morph," Jim explained, glaring at the thing.

"A…what? I've never heard of that animal before," I said, surprised. Jim suddenly managed to grab the Morph and stood up.

"I have to go now," he said hurriedly and ran out of the room. I watched as he disappeared down the stairs as I sat there, confused. Ok, now I know there's something not right with him. I picked myself up and went back to the library. I'd read tons of books, and not one mentioned a creature called a Morph.

I had learned the books were alphabetized by the authors last name, but the encyclopedia's were at the top of the tall bookcases. I climbed the latter and looked through all the different titles. When I finally came to the huge encyclopedia for animals I smiled and pulled the dusty book out. I climbed down the latter and sat down in a nearby chair. I flipped through the pages, finding the M's section, then looking page by page for a creature called a Morph, but I never found it. I closed the book and let out a sigh. Even if what Jim had said was true, that he was a rare species, he would still be listed in the book. Jim was definitely hiding something, and I was going to find out what.

I walked to his room, ready to confront him when I heard yelling from inside. I pressed my ear to the door and heard Morph squeak, then Jim yell, "I don't care! If she finds out what we are she'll be afraid of us! Do you realize what you couldn't done? And what happens if she tells someone, huh? You know what they'll do to us if they find out!" Morph made a whispering sound. I heard Jim let out a frustrated sigh, then I heard the bed groan as he sat down on it. "Just…just don't do it again. I'll make up something to cover for you."

I was scared now. What could Jim be hiding that would make me scared of him? And what was he talking about when he said, 'you know what they'll do to us if they find out'? Suddenly I heard the door open and I turned to see Jim standing there, looking at me in surprise.

"What are you doing here?" he asked in alarm.

"Jim, what are you keeping from me?" I asked.

"You heard that?" he asked, a darkness passing over his eyes. Jim ran his hands through his hair as he let out a frustrated yell.

"Stop trying to ruin everything! Don't you know how long it's been since I've had a friend to talk to? Why are you trying to mess everything up?"

"How am I messing everything up?" I yelled back, getting mad. "How do you know I'll be afraid of you if you tell me exactly what you are?"

Jim looked at me in surprise. "How much did you hear?"

"Just the end," I replied in a softer voice this time. Jim turned away and leaned his head against the wall.

"I just don't want to lose the one friend I have here," he said. I put my hand on his shoulder.

"I promise I won't be scared or tell anyone," I swore. He turned around to look at me for a minute, the finally let out a sigh. He grabbed my hand then led me into his room. I looked over at Morph who was jumping on the head, morphing into different things as he bounced. I laughed at the thing. He was such a cute creature, but why wasn't he mentioned in the books? And how was he able to transform into different things? It was unlike anything I've ever seen on this earth. Suddenly, it struck me; maybe he wasn't from this earth! Maybe Jim and Morph were from another planet. That would explain so much of his behavior. I turned around to see Jim looking around in the hall before closing the door and locking it. He walked over to the bed and sighed.

"What do you think I am?" he asked.

"An alien?" I asked. He looked back up at me in surprise that I'd guessed it.

"It wasn't that hard to figure out if you really think about it. You don't want to talk about where you're from, your pet isn't mentioned in any of the books I looked at about animals. You won't talk about anything that happened before you came here, and you don't know any of the stories that everyone else knows," I said.

"Well, you're right. I'm from another planet, one very far away from here," he said.

"That's what you were afraid I wouldn't be able to accept?" I asked with a laugh. Jim looked up at he with confusion and surprise.

"You mean you're not afraid of me?" he asked.

"No, of course not. You may be from another planet, but you're still as real to me as anyone else. Why would I be afraid of you?" I asked.

**Jim's POV**

"Well, back on my planet there were stories about earth. Terrible stories of what happened to spacers who accidentally landed in earth. The earthlings thought that the only reason someone would land here would be to take over the earth, and they were afraid of the unknown, so they would kill them or use them as test subject to find out exactly how they were different from them," I said. My mom always told me these stories as a child, but I thought they were just stories to keep children from sneaking on board ships and going off to space.

"That's terrible, but not everyone is like that Jim," Belle said softly. Suddenly I snapped my head up and glared at her. I knew this was a bad idea! What if she told someone?

"Listen, you can't tell anyone what I told you, ok?" I said firmly. She nodded.

"Ok." I sat down on the bed and let out a sigh. Even though I still wasn't so sure about telling her, I felt better now that I did. I felt like I finally had someone I could just be myself with.

"So, where are you from exactly?" she asked curiously.

"A small planet named Montressor. My mom owns an inn there," I told her.

"What does it look like?" I thought for a moment about how to explain it. I didn't have any holographic pictures like my mom had on her locket.

"Uh, well, it's about three stories high with these little towers on the top-" I suddenly stopped when Morph zoomed in front of me and changed into an exact replica of the inn. "Oh, thank you Morph." Belle looked at the inn in wonder.

"Wow, I've never seen a building like that before. What's it called?" she asked with a smile.

"It's called the Benbow Inn," I suddenly pointed to a window at the top of the Inn. "See that window right there? That's my room, and the window next to it is m mom's. All the other rooms are for the guests, and downstairs is where we serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner and there's a drawing room right next to it for the guest to hang around in." I finally looked up at her.

"What's the houses on earth like? I've only ever seen the Beast's castle," I said. Belle looked past me and tapped her chin.

"Well, I live in a small house with a blue roof and a yard for coop for the chicken around the back. We have a small water mill that my father invented so we could have water coming right into our house, except during the winter when it freezes and we have to go to the village pump to get water. We live a little ways from the village, so behind our house are miles and miles of hills, mountains and woods," I explained, and when I saw Jim still listening I went on, "In the village it's pretty much the same. Small house clumped together, with a square in the middle of the village. There's the bookshop, my favorite place, the baker, and the market people. It's a pretty boring life, but everybody seems content with just doing the same thing day after day, and never having any adventure or excitement in their life." It was like she knew exactly how I felt when I lived on Montressor.

"I know exactly how you feel," I assured her. "Every day it was the same old thing. Serving guests, going to school, working all day, and then going to bed. Every day was the same old boring thing."

"You must have had some adventure happen to you if you ended all the way up here on earth," she said. I instinctively frowned. I hated thinking about what brought me here. I hated remembering how I killed someone and how I'd had to accept that I would never be able to see my friend or family ever again.

**Belle's POV**

"Yeah, some adventure…" he muttered. Then I realized something tragic must have happened to make him land here. Maybe that's why he didn't want to talk about it.

"What's Montressor like?" I asked, changing the subject. Jim thought for a minute and then answered,

"Boring. It's a mining planet with canyon's, dust and basically nothing to do," he said with a shrug and an indifferent look on his face. Suddenly his eyes lit up. "Well, except…"

"Except what?" I asked. Instead of answering Jim replied with a question of his own.

"Hey, you said you like adventure, right?" he asked with a smile. "Wanna take a ride on my board?"

"What?"

"My solar surfer."

"What is that?" I asked in confusion. Jim grabbed my hand and pulled me out of the library.

"Come on, I'll show you."

Jim grabbed both our coats from the table and handed mine to me, then he led me out of the castle to a pile of leaves right next to the castle wall near the entrance. He dropped down to his knees and dug through the leaves, then with a smile, he pulled out a long board that somewhat resembled an ironing board only it was made of metal, with a metal cylinder attached to the back. From what I've seen of my father's work it looked like a motor of some sort. It looked like something my father would invent.

"What does it do?" I asked curiously. Jim threw it on the ground and stepped on, then held out a hand to me.

"Come on, I'll show you," he offered as he slid his foot under a leather strap on the board. He stepped on a button near the motor and a yellow glowing sail popped up with a handle that wrapped around the sail. I jumped back in surprise but then reached out to touch it in amazement.

"I built it all by myself," Jim said proudly. "And I built my first one when I was only eight." I raised my eyebrows in amazement.

"Wow Jim, that's amazing!" I said with a smile. Jim seemed happy that he'd been able to impress me. "You remind me a lot of my father. He was an inventor too." Jim leaned against the sail and looked at me.

"What kind of stuff does he make?" he asked.

"Well, just before he came here he made a device that chops wood by itself," I said with a sad smile.

"Cool."

"Yeah. He always told me he knew what he wanted to be when he was only eight and an inventor came to the village and he saw what it did. He's been drawing and building stuff ever since, and even though he's older now he hasn't slowed down a bit," I said as I looked off into the distance. I hoped my father was happy and still inventing stuff. It always made him happy and brought a smile to his face even when he was sad…just like I used to do.

"What's he like?" Jim asked.

"He's really sweet and caring. He would do anything for anyone if they asked him," I told him. Jim looked off into the distance with a look on his face that I couldn't quite place.

"What's your father like?" I asked.

"Come on, let's go on that ride now," he said, avoiding the question. Jim suddenly straightened up and held out his hand. "Here you step up behind me." I looked at the small space behind Jim, then looked back at him.

"What am I going to hold on to?" I asked. "I've never rode on this thing before, and I don't want to fall off." He looked back at the board and realized I was right. He could stay on the board without a problem, but I might slip off.

"Ok, look, you can stand in front of me and I'll stand behind you so you don't fall," he finally said. He grabbed my hand and pulling me on the board and in front of him. I reached out and grabbed the handle as Jim stepped on behind me and wrapped his arms around me and grabbed onto the handle.

"You ready?" he asked with a grin. I suddenly felt terrified. Without waiting for a response Jim stepped on a button behind him and we shot off with such a force I was knocked back into Jim. When I steadied myself I looked down and suddenly realized we weren't on the ground anymore, we were flying high above the castle.

"We're flying!" I exclaimed. I looked back to see the castle slowly getting smaller and smaller. "Wait, Jim, I'm not allowed to leave the castle!" Jim rolled his eyes with a smile.

"Don't worry Belle, the Beast will never know. Besides, we're not leaving we're just taking a little break. We'll be back before he even knows we're gone!" Jim assured me. I took a deep breath and relaxed. Jim was right, we would be fine, and the Beast would never know. Besides, how often had I dreamed of adventure and flying? Now I was being given the chance to live out my craziest dreams, and I wasn't about to waste a minute of it!

* * *

><p>First off, I'm so sorry that it's taken me this long to update. I meant to have this published a week ago, but for some reason this chapter was really hard to write. I'm still not totally satisfied with it, so I'll probably go back and re-write it later, but I wanted to get an update out, so here it is. The next chapters should be easier to write, so I'll try to update again soon, though I can't say how soon. So, as always, leave a comment and let me know what you think. =)<p> 


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